 | |
Matoran Under the Microscope
 Wednesday, June 25th, 2003 at 9:36pm by Rich, BZPower AdministratorThe number one complaint I’ve seen from members over the past 1.5 years has been the lack of Matoran availability. Well, finally you will be able to own Matoran. Six new Matoran were released from US S@H and will soon be flooding the shelves. So, was the wait worth it? Find out as we take our first look at the new Matoran sets.
To recap, there are the follow six Matoran available in single sets: The boxes for these Matoran are exactly the same size as the Bohrok Va and the Turaga. However, while the Va and the Turaga retailed at $2.99, these sets cost $1 more at $3.99. The cause of increase in standard price is unclear, and will particularly affect consumers on the retail level, as some retail stores such as the KB locations tend to further inflate the cost of sets. These sets may very well end up costing $4.99 at many US retail locations. You can also see the rear of a typical Matoran box below.
Okay, enough about the box and prices. What’s in these sets? You will find a bag of parts, two loose elements, a Bohrok-Kal mini-comic, and the instructions.
Each set of instructions also includes a mini-poster on the reverse side. All the posters have depictions of a Bohrok-Kal, a Toa Nuva, and a Rahkshi. Which poster you get depends on the Matoran you buy. The poster shown here reveals Tahnok-Kal, Tahu Nuva, and Turahk comes with Kopeke.
As we get into the set itself, I will be reviewing Kopeke. There is no reason to review all 6 sets because all 6 Matoran are the same except for the change in color and mask. The build of the set is very easy, obviously. When you are dealing with a set of only 25 pieces, it should take you almost no time to build all six Matoran, never mind one. While you are building each additional Matoran, you will not need the instructions anymore because it almost becomes habit. Or, if you are feeling particularly adventurous you can even build your first Matoran without instructions if that makes you feel better about yourself. The build it easy, and because of that it is relaxing.
However, as is the case with most things Bionicle, you need to build six to complete a collection, and if you buy all six and build all six at the same time, it gets repetitive and tiresome. But if you a Bionicle fan (if you are reading this review, I would assume that you are…), you have come to expect that by now, and can probably get around it.
Another point that has to be addressed is the final design of the Matoran.
Initial reaction toward this design was rather negative, however, from what I am seeing that trend seems to be reversing. Many people need to remember that along with everything else, Bionicle is progressing. The initial release of Bionicle sets along with McDonalds Tohunga included sets that were not poseable (no, that’s not a word, but I like it anyway) at all like the Rahi. However, as we have seen with the Rahkshi, sets in newer releases are now much more poseable. To keep up with that trend, and with to adhere to movie demands, the Matoran are now able to be posed much more easily and are much more flexible. They are much better for play purposes even without the disk throwing feature, which any decent MOCist can add to a Matoran should they so choose anyway. We asked for Matoran, we got them. So lets get out there and show the Lego Company that when we ask for something, we can back it up with our dollars rather than just our words. For sets that cost less than any other Bionicle set for 2003, they are a bargain. Considering the masks of these sets are worth about $1 each alone, for only $4.00 and free poster included in the deal, get out there and get yourself a Matoran or six. I give the Matoran an 8/10 for their poseablity and their value for price ratio.
|
